Victoria Crowned Pigeon
Goura victoria (Fraser, 1844)
Range: Indonesia, New Guinea
Habitat: Wetlands, Palm Forests
Diet: Fallen Fruit, Berries, Seeds, Insects, Snails
Social Grouping: Flocks of 2-10
Reproduction: Monogamous for life. Courtship behavior consists of bowing the head and wagging the tail. Nest in a platform of sticks and leaves low in the trees or in thickets. Female lays single egg, incubated by both parents for 30 days. Juveniles fledge at 4 weeks old, sexually mature at 15 months old.
Lifespan: 25 Years
Conservation Status: IUCN Vulnerable, CITES Appendix II
- One of the world's largest living pigeons (rivaled only by the other crested pigeon species). Body length 75-85 centimeters, weigh 3.5 kilograms
- Body feathers are blue-gray, purplish on the chest, fading to a gray belly. The head is crowned with a lacy, fan-like crest, tipped in white
- Wings make a loud, clapping sound when taking flight. Mating call is a deep hoota-hoota-hoota, while males defending territories give a whup-up, whup-up call
- Named for the nineteenth-century British monarch Queen Victoria
- Two subspecies. Goura victoria beccarii is found on mainland New Guinea, and is larger and lighter-colored than G. v. victoria, found in the surrounding islands.
- Threatened by habitat loss and hunting for meat; nestlings are collected and reared for food. Feathers and crest used for head dresses. Easily taken by hunters due to tameness, gregarious nature, and unwillingness to fly
No comments:
Post a Comment